Against All Odds
by vogelimkafig120
Summary: SPOILERS FOR ULTRA SUN/MOON. You have been warned. After Rose is intrigued by a photo of her parents with two certain Trainers, Sun and Lillie explain to their daughter about their battle against the two strongest Pokémon Trainers in the world. I consider USUM as a separate AU from the SM games.


**Hello to you all! I just want to take the moment to say that I'm truly sorry for being on a near year long hiatus. Reason being is that I had succumb to writer's block yet again, as well as playing Overwatch, Breath of the Wild, FE Fates, and more Overwatch. But ever since Ultra Sun and Moon were released, it had rekindled my writing spirit, and expect more fics in the future! Yes, some of the elements in the story don't follow up in the actual games but oh well. So, as always, enjoy!**

* * *

Sun and Lillie were preparing lunch while their daughter Rose was playing with Snowy, her mother's Alolan Ninetales, in the living room. Rose pretended that she was a Pokémon Trainer, commanding Snowy to do random moves that it did not know. The Fox Pokémon played along the act as it proved to be quite entertaining and it loved Rose.

"One day I'll be like mommy and daddy." Rose remarked to Snowy, earning the child an approving nod from the Fox Pokémon.

Curiosity spurred on the 5-year-old as she gazed at a picture frame of her parents when they were young. From what Rose saw, the details of the photo included her parents with a celebratory smile, and two adults behind them; one with a red hat while the other had sporty orange hair.

"I need to ask mommy and daddy about the photo!" The 5-year-old affirmed as she formed a fist in a childlike manner. Suddenly, she heard a call from her mother.

"Lunch is ready, Rose!" Lillie declared from the kitchen.

"Okay, mommy!" Rose loudly replied as she sprang into action with Snowy following suit.

The family sat down together as they snacked on homemade sandwiches and juice from the finest berries. Malasadas of a wide variety of flavors soon came to the fray, which Rose had anticipated when she noticed a pleasurable aroma coming from the kitchen entrance. Once they finished eating, Sun proceeded to take their plates away to wash. Rose decided to speak to her mother about the photo.

"Mommy, I have a question." Rose happily asked her mother.

"Yes, sweetie?" Lillie replied as she smiled at her child.

"Who are those grown-ups in that photo of you and daddy?" Rose wondered.

Lillie felt a bit puzzled because Rose didn't specify as to who the 'grown-ups' were. "I'm sorry sweetie, what grown-ups are you talking about?"

"A grown-up with a red hat, and another grown-up with orange hair!" The 5-year-old responded. Rose was a curious child, and if she saw something that peaked her interest, she would get to the bottom of it.

"Oh, I know who she means now." Sun answered as he sat down next to his wife, eager to join in the conversation.

Knowing the implication of Rose's words, Lillie connected the dots as to who her daughter was referring to. "Ah, you mean Red and Blue."

"They are named after colors?" Rose said in a confused manner.

"Well yes, aside from that, they are the strongest Pokémon Trainers in Kanto, and if not, the whole world." Sun confirmed as he gave Lillie a loving squeeze to her hand.

Rose felt a tad bit offended when her father said that there were other people who are as powerful as him. Sun was Alola's first Pokémon League Champion and has saved the region from Necrozma and Team Rainbow Rocket's assault. "But you are the strongest Trainer, daddy!"

Both parents chuckled at their daughter's statement, and Lillie was the first to talk afterwards. "Titles don't prove merit, Rose. But we did win against them in the past."

Rose's eyes widened in excitement after what her mother had revealed. "You beat them as kids?!"

"Yes, we did, dear. Do you want to hear the whole story?" Sun offered to his daughter.

"Of course! I wanna know!" Rose joyously agreed as she waved her hands up and down.

Sun ruffled his daughter's hair as he spoke. "Okay, let's just head on over to the living room, and me and your mother will explain everything there."

Sun, Lillie, and Rose walked towards the living room, settling down on their couch as the 5-year-old sat on her mother's lap. Snowy soon joined the family as it nuzzled on Lillie's shoulder.

"You see, Rose," Sun began as he gazed at the frame, "this is what happened."

 ** _17 years ago_**

"Scrafty is unable to battle! The winners are Sun and Lillie!" The Battle Tree Hostess declared.

"We did it, Sun!" Lillie yelled out in joy as she and Sun gave each other a high five.

"Sure did, Lillie!" Sun commented, returning his Pokémon back into its Poké Ball as Lillie did the same.

"So, that makes it 49 battles won, right?" The blonde pointed out as the Hostess came up to the young duo.

"You are correct, miss." The Battle Tree Hostess confirmed. "Which means that you are ready to face the Battle Legends of this facility."

Sun's heart rate elevated because now he and Lillie were to face Red and Blue. In Sun's early days in the Kanto region, he had idolized both Red and Blue, though his favoritism was leaning more towards the former, especially with what the Legendary Pokémon Trainer had accomplished at such a young age.

Sun and Lillie had encountered the Kanto Trainers at the entrance of the Battle Tree. Blue offered to battle them, but Red gave a disapproving nod, which told Professor Oak's grandson that it'd be best if they test their abilities inside the Battle Tree.

"Sun, are you okay?" Lillie asked with a concerned look on her face.

"No worries, Lillie! I'm totally fine!" Sun hurriedly answered as he tried to hide his nervousness.

Lillie didn't buy it but she did not make an attempt to prod him for more info. She knew that her friend was nervous at the thought of facing two of the most well-seasoned Pokémon Trainers out there.

"I see," Lillie replied as she grinned. "Well then, let us proceed!"

With that, Lillie started to walk towards the stairs as Sun followed her afterwards. Truth be told, Lillie was internally struggling because of the thought of messing up in their battle against Red and Blue. She specialized in Fairy-Type Pokémon, with Snowy and Ribombee as her main two. Anything could happen, and Lillie was terrified at the thought of Sun being disappointed in her if she'd do something awry. However, her thoughts were interrupted as Sun broke the silence when he paused himself on the staircase.

"To be honest, I'm kinda, no, freaking out right now." Sun admitted.

Lillie proceeded to take a stop and faced Sun as she had a worried look on her face. "And why is that?" She spoke.

"Think about it, Lillie," The Alola Champion reminded his friend, his eyes fixed on the staircase, "two of the strongest Pokémon Trainers are awaiting us, and I don't think I have what it takes to battle them."

Lillie empathized with Sun because the both of them shared a nagging doubt about their capabilities in the coming battle. "So, I'm not the only one with the same thought, too. Thank goodness." She responded as she formed a soft grin that puzzled her friend.

"What do you mean?" Sun questioned.

"Honestly, I'm worried that being your partner in the Battle Tree was a mistake. Since our next challenge is against Red and Blue, should I do something that may cost us the match, then it'd be my fault for our efforts being all for naught." Lillie responded, her expression becoming somber.

"Lillie, regardless of the outcome, I would never blame or resent you at all," He assured her as he clutched his Poké Ball, "we're going there with our heads held high, and we'll show Red and Blue the power of our Pokémon!"

Sun's convictions resonated inside Lillie, increasing her confidence and morale. Instinctively, she also clutched her Poké Ball, a confident smile plastered on her face. Had the both of them backed away from their battle, they'd never know whether the outcome could've been a decisive victory or loss. "You're right, Sun. Let's show them what we're made of!" Lillie declared happily.

And so, the duo made it to the apex of the Battle Tree. There, they saw a Trainer with a red hat and a Pikachu on his shoulder while the other had orange hair along with a pair of sunglasses on. Sun and Lillie also noticed that the opposite duo had a unique bracelet worn on their respective wrists.

"Hey, you two finally made it!" Blue congratulated as he took off his sunglasses.

Meanwhile, Red had a stoic expression as he examined Sun and Lillie. The Legendary Pokémon Trainer was anticipating their arrival. From what Red knew, Sun was this region's Champion while Lillie had just recently completed her Island Challenge. Two young Pokémon Trainers striving to show their strength, it had Red feel a bit nostalgic.

"Trainers, please prepare for the match!" The Battle Tree Hostess announced as she directed the participating Trainers to their designated areas.

"Red, Blue, I assure you that me, Lillie, and our Pokémon are not going to hold back!" Sun proclaimed as he and Lillie readied their Poké Balls.

"Likewise, to you both." Blue agreed as he put his sunglasses away, and proceeded to grab his Poké Ball. The up and coming successor to Professor Oak wished that he and Red could've battled Sun and Lillie early on, but in the end, the buildup made it worthwhile.

Red had his Pikachu hop off from his shoulder, commanding it to prepare for battle.

"Show us your true power!" Blue exclaimed.

"Now, begin!" The Hostess loudly yelled as she backed away from them.

"Let's go, Alakazam!" Professor Oak's grandson said as he threw his Poké Ball, bringing out his Psychic-Type Pokémon.

Red already had his Pikachu out so there was no need for a Poké Ball. His expression turned serious as a result; as quiet as he was, a Pokémon battle always rekindled his fighting spirit. "Be ready, Pikachu!"

"Come on out, Greninja!"

"Do your best, Ribombee!"

Greninja and Ribombee emerged from their Poké Balls, eager to impress their Trainers.

"Oh, a Greninja. I wonder if it's the same as the Unova Chump's." Blue commented about Sun's Pokémon as it reminded him of Hilbert's own Greninja.

"Pikachu, use Volt Tackle!" Red commanded as Pikachu started to gather enough electricity around itself. Once it did, Pikachu charged towards Greninja at light speed but before the Mouse Pokémon could land its attack, Lillie sprang into action.

"Ribombee, set up with Reflect!" Lillie ordered. Her Ribombee formed a small barrier around Greninja, though it wasn't able to nullify most of the damage dealt to Sun's Pokémon.

Greninja skidded across the platform but was still able to battle while Pikachu seemed to have taken a bit of damage from the recoil.

"Alakazam, Focus Blast!" Blue shouted as he emphasized by extending his arm forward. Alakazam channeled its mental spirit in order to create a ball of energy. It then fired at Greninja.

Realizing that his Pokémon was in a dangerous spot, Sun had to improvise quickly. "Use Substitute, Greninja!"

The Ninja Pokémon disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving behind a fake duplicate that took the blow from Alakazam's Focus Blast. The dummy disintegrated soon after.

"Where'd it run off to?" Blue wondered as he and his Pokémon tried to look around their surroundings. Suddenly, Greninja popped up behind Alakazam. "Behind you!"

"Dark Pulse!" Sun commanded. Greninja unleased a wave that was manifested from negative thoughts onto the Psi Pokémon, not giving it a chance to react in time. Alakazam, however, remained standing as it has a Focus Sash to endure the blow.

"No way." The Alola Champion muttered in disbelief.

"Ah, so your Greninja does have Protean." Blue deduced. It was nostalgic to the former Viridian City Gym Leader because Hilbert also had a Greninja with the ability Protean.

"Pollen Puff on Greninja!" Lillie exclaimed as she directed her Ribombee towards Greninja. The Bee Fly Pokémon shot a puff that was concentrated in healing properties onto Sun's Pokémon.

"Thanks, Lillie." Sun complimented his friend, earning a nod in response from her. Throughout most of their battles in the Battle Tree, Lillie would direct her Pokémon to act as support more so than attacking opposing Pokémon. Then again, she did promise her friend that she'd look out for his Pokémon.

"Quick Attack!" Red shouted as Pikachu traversed at lightning speed, its target being Lillie's Ribombee. Once Pikachu reached Ribombee, Red ordered a different attack. "Now, use Iron Tail!

That had Lillie alarmed because Fairy-Type Pokémon were weak to Steel-Type moves, and with her Ribombee being of said type, it wasn't going to go in her favor.

"No!" She shouted as Red's Pikachu's tail became as sturdy as iron. The Mouse Pokémon hit Ribombee hard, causing it to fall down on the floor fast.

Ribombee was unresponsive for a bit but was able to fly back up due to Reflect, although the protection wasn't able to last forever. Sun used the moment to deal with Alakazam.

"Shadow Sneak!"

Greninja appeared sneakily behind Alakazam yet again, and landed a kick onto it. Because of it being weakened, the Psi Pokémon wasn't getting up anytime soon. After a few seconds, Alakazam was indeed knocked out.

"Alakazam is unable to battle!" The Battle Tree Hostess declared as Blue brought the Pokémon in question back into its Poké Ball.

"Too bad I can't send out my next Pokémon just yet. You're on your own for the meantime, Red." Blue remarked.

"Pikachu, Volt Tackle again!" Red commanded, which shocked Blue. Professor Oak's grandson didn't expect his friend to rush in recklessly like that. This time, Ribombee was Pikachu's target instead of Greninja.

"Water Shuriken!"

Greninja threw a volley of water-based shurikens at Pikachu before it could land a hit. This gave Lillie an open window to attack.

"Now! Pollen Puff!" Lillie shouted as Ribombee fired a ball of puff but this time around it dealt damage onto Pikachu instead of healing it.

Due to the combined attack of both Sun and Lillie's Pokémon, Pikachu attempted to continue on, but soon gave in to fatigue.

"Pikachu is unable to battle!" The Hostess confirmed. Red brought Pikachu into its Poké Ball, silently thanking his companion for its hard work.

Sun and Lillie were both ecstatic because they had the advantage against Red and Blue. It was as though victory became too palpable to bear.

"I wouldn't get my hopes up just yet." Blue warned as he and Red brought out their next Poké Balls.

"Go! Charizard!"

"Go! Pidgeot!"

Both of Red and Blue's ace Pokémon appeared on the battlefield. Thanks to Ribombee, Greninja still felt at top condition, however the former was still weakened by Pikachu's Iron Tail.

"You know, few have managed to back us up into a corner. I commend you two for doing so, truly." Red spoke to Sun and Lillie, which surprised them and Blue because the latter expected himself to do all of the talking. The Legendary Pokémon Trainer presented the young Trainers his bracelet, which had Sun highly unsettled because he knew what it was. "However, it is necessary to use heavy opposition! Observe!"

Red and Blue held one of their arms up as their respective bracelets began to glow, as well as the stones that Charizard and Pidgeot held. Soon, a light enveloped their Pokémon.

"W-what is this?!" Lillie questioned in fear because this was her first time witnessing such a spectacle.

"Mega Evolution!" Red and Blue shouted in unison.

Charizard and Pidgeot soon emerged from a shell-like encasement, and their appearances became drastically altered.

The Flame Pokémon's body changed from its usual color to a pattern of black and sky blue, its wings formed large rounded points, and it breathed in blue fire. The changes resulted in Charizard becoming dragon-like.

The Bird Pokémon's body grew larger and longer, broader wings. The tips of its feathers were now colored in blue, and a red crest was now adorned on its head.

"I-it's like from before." Sun commented on Red and Blue's Pokémon. During the Pokémon World Tournament around 2 years back, Sun had witnessed Red performing a Mega Evolution on his Charizard against Hilbert in the finals on television. But now, the Alola Champion was able to see it in person, and it still had him in awe.

Lillie's reaction was more out of fear than amazement. She knew that the battle would be difficult for her and Sun, but to face against Pokémon who have reached new feats in evolution, it had just upped the ante. Nonetheless, the new obstacle wasn't going to allow her fighting spirit to falter.

"Ribombee, Pollen Puff on Charizard!" Lillie commanded.

Ribombee attempted to prepare its attack until Blue issued his own.

"Hurricane, Pidgeot!"

Because of Pidgeot's Mega Evolution, it enhanced the Bird Pokémon's wing power which allowed for devastating wind attacks. As a result, Pidgeot flapped its wings in order to generate an extraordinary amount of wind around Ribombee, enveloping the Bee Fly Pokémon in the process. Once the attack dwindled away, Ribombee was unresponsive.

"Ahh! Ribombee!" Lillie cried out desperately.

"Ribombee is unable to battle!" The Hostess proclaimed. Red and Blue were beginning to turn the odds back into their favor.

Lillie brought her Ribombee back into its Poké Ball, a bit of her morale taken away.

Sun looked on in disbelief, and so he commanded Greninja to initiate the next attack. "Greninja, Ice Beam!"

Greninja fired away a beam of ice towards Pidgeot, resulting in a direct hit. Despite the type advantage that the Ninja Pokémon had because of its special ability, Pidgeot did not falter.

"Y-you can't be serious." Lillie shouted, refusing to think that their chances of prevailing was withering away.

"Charizard, Dragon Claw on Greninja!" Red ordered to his ace Pokémon.

Charizard's claws glowed bright green, but because of Mega Evolution, the energy surrounding its claws expanded than normal levels. The Flame Pokémon charged towards Greninja, and proceeded to swipe the Ninja Pokémon, but with increased damage because of its Tough Claws ability.

Greninja cried out in pain as it skidded across the platform. The Ninja Pokémon tried to get up, but it eventually gave in to exhaustion in the end.

"No! Greninja!" The Alola Champion yelled out.

"Greninja is also unable to battle!" The Hostess declared.

"Well then, looks like it's back to two-on-two!" Blue mentioned with a smirk on his face. He wasn't trying to act cocky, it was more of a buildup of excitement because he and Red were giving it their all.

Red continued to have a serious look, only focusing on the battle and nothing more, though he had to adjust his hat a few times. Even if he wasn't showing it, he was truly enjoying the battle. The Legendary Pokémon Trainer admired Sun and Lillie for their tenacity.

Sun returned his Greninja back inside its Poké Ball. He then noticed that Lillie was slightly shaking once she grasped her other Poké Ball.

"Lillie, I know what you're thinking right now," Sun spoke as he gazed at his friend, "but we have to keep going."

The blonde simply gave a nod to her friend. Of course, Lillie knew that she wasn't going to back away, not just for Sun's sake but because it'd be a direct insult to her Pokémon due to all of the hard work that they put in order to reach to this point.

"Hey, there's no time for sentimental pep talk!" Blue reminded the duo.

The two young Trainers acknowledged Blue's reminder, proceeding to ready their respective ace Pokémon.

"This is our last chance! You're up, Incineroar!"

"Do your best, Snowy!"

Both Pokémon emerged from their Poké Balls, and despite facing against Mega Evolved Pokémon, they weren't going to disappoint their Trainers.

Because of Snowy's hidden ability, hail started to form out of nowhere.

"H-hey, I didn't bring a sweater, you know!" Blue exclaimed as he began to shiver. It seemed that Professor Oak's grandson was the only one who was complaining about the sudden drop in temperature because from the looks of it, Sun and Lillie were accustomed to the cold, as well as Red because of his time in Mt. Silver years back.

"Snowy, use Aurora Veil!" Lillie shouted. Because of Snowy stirring up a hailstorm, its protective move was able to form rather quickly. Now, both Incineroar and Snowy would only receive half of the damage deal to them, but for a short amount of time.

"Delaying the inevitable is futile!" Blue protested as he extended his arm forward in order to issue his next move. "Pidgeot, Heat Wave on them!"

Pidgeot generated a good amount of heat from its wings, flapping it towards Incineroar and Snowy. The Heel Pokémon simply brushed the attack aside due to the typing while the Fox Pokémon was the most affected, but the attack was partially nullified thanks to Aurora Veil.

"Incineroar, go with Outrage on Charizard!" Sun commanded.

Incineroar began to show signs of a tantrum, brazenly charging towards Charizard. Sun's ace Pokémon was able to connect its attack onto the Flame Pokémon. Even then, it still wasn't enough.

"Dragon Dance!" The Legendary Pokémon Trainer ordered as he readjusted his hat again. Charizard surrounded itself in a red and pink aura. Once it wore off, the Flame Pokémon felt rejuvenated. This signaled bad news for Sun and Lillie.

"Dazzliing Gleam, Snowy." Lillie shouted out of desperation. Snowy shot out a rainbow-esque sphere that expanded in order to hit the adjacent Pokémon. The blonde had hoped that Snowy's attack would take out Red and Blue's Pokémon as the same tactic had worked a few battles ago, but that wasn't the case because she forgot that Charizard's typing became Dragon/Fire.

"Ok, here goes nothing!" Sun proposed as he set up his Z-Ring. He then performed a certain pose that allowed for Incineroar to be imbued with its Z-Power. Out of nowhere, an arena made out of fire entrapped Pidgeot.

"Malicious Moonsault!"

Red decided to act before the attack could be initiated. "Charizard, rush in with Dragon Cl-" however, Lillie intervened right in the nick of time.

"Counter it with Hypnosis!"

"You gotta be joking me!" Blue gasped.

Snowy looked at Charizard straight in the eye, emitting a signal that put the Flame Pokémon into a deep trance. This gave Incineroar a chance to finish off Pidgeot as the Heel Pokémon jumped on top of the ropes of the arena, and with Sun signaling it with the final action, proceeded to perform a 450splash onto the Bird Pokémon. Soon, the arena dissipated, and Pidgeot was guaranteed to not withstand the Z-Move.

"What?!" Blue shrieked in disbelief. His ace Pokémon had fallen thanks to the coordination of Sun and Lillie's Pokémon. "Ok, now you're on your own, Red."

It wasn't the first time that Red had to have one Pokémon go against multiple opponents. Charizard was in a good spot due to its power and speed enhanced by its Dragon Dance. Also, Incineroar appeared rather weakened from performing its Z-Move. Once Charizard shrugged off the effects of Snowy's Hypnosis, Red began his counterattack.

"Now, attack with Mega Punch!" Red suggested.

Charizard clenched its fist as it gathered a copious amount of strength. Once it did, the Flame Pokémon boomed towards Incineroar at mach speed, connecting its's fist onto the Heel Pokémon.

Sun's ace Pokémon crashed down onto the floor, away from the battle at a considerable amount of distance. The Alola Champion rushed towards his companion.

"Incineroar!" Sun yelled out, fearing for Incineroar's well-being. He saw the mark that Charizard had left on his Pokémon's face. To Sun's relief, Incineroar was still breathing, but unable to continue on in the fray.

After a minute, the Battle Tree Hostess had made her decision. "Incineroar is unable to battle!"

The Alola Champion thanked Incineroar for its effort in the fight, bringing his companion back inside its Poké Ball. He then walked back towards Lillie, and he noticed that she was shaking once again.

Now the battle pitted Lillie's Alolan Ninetales against Red's Mega Charizard X. There was no doubt that it seemed as though the full weight of responsibility had shift onto the girl. A newly forged Pokémon Trainer going up against someone who was widely considered to be a Living Legend. Lillie knew that Red had the type advantage because Charizard could brush off all of Snowy's moves, and deal serious damage onto the Fox Pokémon.

"I-I," Lillie began to stutter as she was slowly beginning to give in to the pressure. She could feel her eyes watering up, as though she was about to break down on the spot.

Red and Blue noticed the change in her demeanor, but did not opt to interfere. The duo had experienced the same feeling, though over time, they've been able to become accustom to the pressure of Pokémon battles.

Sun was about to persuade her to focus on the battle until she spoke yet again, "I won't surrender!"

Lillie tried to regain her composure by taking a deep breath and talking in full sentences. "Our Pokémon have fought through trial after trial. They have given us their strength to make it this far," She took a breather as she wiped the tears away from her face, "and it's something that I learned during my experience as a Pokémon Trainer."

The blonde reminisced of meeting Sun and the others, Snowy becoming her first Pokémon, and completing her Island Challenge. All of those events have happened recently, but has made a drastic alteration in her life.

"What are you trying to say?" Red insisted as he stared intently at the girl.

Lillie closed her eyes, and replied back to Red, "All that I'm saying is that," her expression turned serious and battle ready, "me and Snowy are not backing away! There's no way that's going to happen!

Amused by Lillie's convictions, Red complimented her for her bravery. "Very well then. Just show me how true your words hold."

Sun and Blue were astonished at Red's reaction, but soon cheered on for their respective friend and Pokémon.

"I believe in you, Lillie, Snowy!" Sun loudly supported.

"Show them what top notched Kanto Trainers and Pokémon are made of, Red, Charizard!" Blue cheered on.

"Snowy, use Blizzard!" Lillie started off by directing Snowy to unleash one of its powerful moves onto Charizard. Because Hail being in play, Snowy was able to create a howling, icy storm with relative ease. The attack caused Charizard to fumble a bit, and despite the high body temperature that the Flame Pokémon had, it had sense the chill coursing through itself.

Red was left wondering why his Charizard reacted that way, but decided to ignore it for the time being. "Play it safe by using Metal Claw!"

Charizard had its claws become rigid and sturdy as if it was made out of metal. The Flame Pokémon felt overconfident because it had the advantage again Snowy, but such a behavior could lead to mishaps such as overextending.

"Use Hypnosis, Snowy!" Lillie commanded.

Snowy attempted to disrupt Charizard's assault by hypnotizing it yet again, but the Flame Pokémon caught up to the tactic and was able to elude in the process.

"Great! Now use Metal Claw again!" The Legendary Pokémon Trainer ordered Charizard to do the same move.

"Quick, attack with Ice Beam!" Lillie also commanded her companion to launch the previous attack onto Charizard.

The Flame Pokémon was hit with the frozen concoction again, but it simply glided through the attack, shocking Lillie and Snowy.

"Alright!" Blue praised his friend's Pokémon. Although the former Viridian City Gym Leader was out of the match, he was truly getting invested into it.

Lillie didn't have any time to conjure up a different command as Charizard landed a direct hit onto Snowy, causing her companion to get knocked out onto the floor.

"Snowy!" Lillie yelled in fear. In her mind, she prayed that Snowy would get back up.

Sun's heart was racing rapidly at the sight of Snowy seemingly being knocked out. If Snowy didn't get back up soon, then the match would be over.

"It seems as though Snowy is un- "before the Hostess could announce her decision, Snowy began to rise up from the floor, staggering a bit.

Red had a surprising look on his face. He assumed that Metal Claw would bring him and Charizard a decisive victory, but he realized that Snowy's Aurora Veil was still in effect for that brief moment.

Lillie was overjoyed that Snowy's withstood the attack while Sun continued to root for his friend and Pokémon.

Blue chuckled at what he was witnessing. Few have managed to surprise has stoic friend, and well, today just happened to be one of those moments. To top it off, Red was getting riled up about it, but in a good way. Professor Oak's grandson was glad to have waited to battle Sun and Lillie.

"Snowy," Lillie whispered to herself, "I'm proud that you've come this far," she smiled at her companion, before finishing what she was saying, "but now it's time that we put this to an end!" Lillie proceeded to form a position in order to activate Snowy's Icium Z. The Z-Power flowed through the Fox Pokémon, enabling it to unleash its powerful attack.

"Subzero Slammer!"

"Charizard, go with Flare Blitz, fast!" Red hurriedly ordered his Charizard to attack before Snowy could execute its attack. The Flame Pokémon engulfed itself in a fiery aura, and soon rushed towards the Fox Pokémon.

"Now!" Lillie shouted as Charizard neared her Pokémon. Snowy fired away an enormous beam of ice that could freeze even Fire-Type Pokémon that dared to follow its path. The Flame Pokémon ignored the risk and continued to press on, but then a loud explosion enveloped both Pokémon afterwards.

"Snowy!"

"Charizard!"

The participants were now wondering as to who was still standing, and to their surprise, both Pokémon were still in the fight.

Snowy and Charizard were both exhausted due to the aftermath of their moves impacting each other. The Flame Pokémon made a few steps towards Lillie's Pokémon, hoping to prevail in the battle. However, as soon as Charizard was about to land the finishing blow, it lost its Mega Evolution form.

Red couldn't express any words as to how he felt at that moment. He was just that close to a decisive victory, but the tables were turned against him yet again. He realized that Snowy's hailstorm was still in effect, therefore increasing the damage output of its Z-Move.

"T-there's n-no way." Blue stammered in disbelief. Someone was able to out beat Red's Charizard, and from a kid no less.

Sun also couldn't comprehend what he just saw. It wasn't that he doubted Lillie and her Pokémon's capabilities, it was that she and her companion were able to accomplish such a herculean feat.

Charizard began to close its eyes, and landed on the floor, passed out due to exhaustion.

After a minute, the Battle Tree Hostess officially declared her decision, "Charizard is unable to battle! The winners of the Multi-Battle division are Lillie and Sun!"

Lillie could've sworn that she was dreaming, and so she was about to pinch herself until Sun rushed towards her.

"You did it, Lillie!" Sun happily congratulated his friend for winning over Red.

The blonde nodded her head in disapproval before correcting her friend, "no, we did it, Sun! We, and our Pokémon!"

Snowy slowly walked towards Lillie and Sun, with the former crouching down to her companion's level, stroking its fur gently. "I'm so proud of you, Snowy!" Happy tears formed in Lillie's eyes as she brought Snowy back inside the Poké Ball.

Red brought Charizard back into its own Poké Ball, congratulating his companion for putting up a good fight. Afterwards, he and Blue walked towards the young Trainers.

"Well, it's not every day that we say this but," Blue formed a smile on his face, "you two are the real deal!"

Red proceeded to smile as well. "Truly, the both of you have exceeded my expectations."

"Thank you, Red, Blue!" Sun thanked the Kanto Trainers for them complimenting on their skills.

"We appreciate it to the fullest!" Lillie replied joyously. It was difficult for her to control her excitement, but it was understandable considering what happened.

"Now then," Blue remarked before putting his sunglasses back on, "time for your celebratory photo with Red and I!"

"Why is that?" Sun questioned out of curiosity.

"It's to commemorate Trainers who were able to defeat us. You two just happened to be the first to do so in the Battle Tree." The former Viridian City Gym Leader explained in depth. "I think we've talked just about enough now, so let's get to it!"

And so, Sun and Lillie stood in front of Red and Blue as the Hostess readied the camera, and humorously enough, the Rotom Dex wanted to take a photo as well.

"Wait for me! Zz-zz-zz" The Rotom Dex pleaded as it readied the Pokédex's camera feature.

And so, Sun and Lillie smiled happily, with Red and Blue following suit. The cameras flashed brightly, signaling that the picture was properly taken.

 ** _Present Time_**

"Wow!" Rose exclaimed in amazement. "Mommy was the one who beat Red!"

Sun chuckled at his daughter's reaction as he ruffled her black hair. "Yep, I was very proud of her at that time."

Lillie agreed on what her husband had said. "Verily. But it also provided me with a life lesson that I hope you follow, Rose."

"What is it, mommy?" Rose asked. She couldn't quite understand what her mother was implying.

Lillie stifled a laugh as she spoke again, "I'll repeat it for you."

Sun and Lillie enveloped their daughter in a family hug. Then, Rose's mother uttered the following words. "Always believe in your friends and Pokémon, no matter the odds."

Rose happily accepted her parents' embrace, and her mother's advice. "I will, mommy! When I grow up, I'll be the best Pokémon Trainer like you and daddy!"

Sun and Lillie nodded in agreement as they lingered in their family moment.


End file.
